Photovoltaic solar panels, or solar modules, are an increasingly popular means of generating renewable power via the photovoltaic effect. Recently, there has been a wide proliferation of solar projects of all sizes, from small residential installations to large utility scale power production.
A significant cost associated with solar power projects arises from paying a trained installer to set up a racking assembly and attach solar panels to the assembly. Racking assemblies can support the solar panels at particular angles and heights above the ground. In addition, racking assemblies can provide support for various other solar installation components, including junction boxes and wiring. Typically, solar panels are attached to a racking assembly using a complicated multi-step process involving grounding conductors and clamps and/or bolts, which incurs significant labor and material cost. Reducing the number of components and labor required to install solar panels can drastically reduce installation costs.
As solar technology continues to grow in popularity there is a need to make the installation of solar panels easier, cheaper, and safer.